We can then estimate your EFC, give you the college financial track records, and tell you what your opportunities are. This is absolutely FREE.

We can then estimate your EFC, give you the college financial track records, and tell you what your opportunities are. This is absolutely FREE.

Compiled from Department of Labor report

The largest selling edition of US News and World Report is their report on the top colleges in the country. Year after year, students and parents alike flock to this issue like moths to the flame. It's all very understandable. Everyone wants the best education possible. But does this make sense as a fashion to pick a good school. Absolutely not!

College Financial Track Records are often the true indicators of what your student will pay at a school, not necessarily the sticker price.

A question I ask in all of my workshops is “Who here is expecting to get a lot of information on scholarships?” Invariably at least a third of the room raises their hands and half nod their heads. Scholarships are always looked at as a solution to the college funding problem. In fact, many times parents and students will bring up the “fact” that there is college scholarship money just waiting out there to be claimed if you know where to look for it. Then I give them the shocking truth.

I know you’re the parents of a college-bound student, and you’re probably wondering how in the world you are going to pay for it! You have every right to be concerned since the average cost of a 4-year college education today is between $50,000-$200,000.

There are four places that every family has an opportunity for saving money when preparing to pay for college: lower your expected family contribution; identify those schools with the most generous track records; utilize smart money management skills; negotiate with the financial aid office.

Do you remember Jeff Foxworthy's redneck jokes? “If your porch falls down and kills more than seven dogs... you might be a redneck.” Or how about Saturday Night Live after the 9/11 attacks, “If you address includes “a cave”... you might be a terrorist.” Well, we have our own series... but they're not jokes.

Early decision and early action are two very misunderstood policies used by colleges to boost their enrollments as early as possible. These policies make good business sense for the colleges, but do they make sense for you? Unequivocally, NO... and maybe.

Financial Aid Leveraging is a completely foreign term to families getting ready to send their children to college. However, this completely foreign term is having a vast impact on the amount of money that students are able to receive in help from colleges.